Diddy's prosecutors say he tried to bury Cassie tape, hotel guard testifies

Prosecutors say Sean “Diddy” Combs went to extreme lengths to bury evidence of his alleged 2016 assault on Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura — his then-girlfriend and now a major witness in his federal sex trafficking trial.

In their opening statements on Monday, May 12, federal prosecutors claimed Combs tried to bribe a hotel security guard with $100,000 to keep quiet about the incident, which occurred at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles.

The former security guard in question, Israel Florez, was called to stand as the first witness, as reported by The New York Times. He testified that he was called to the sixth floor after a report of a woman in distress.

Florez said he found Combs wrapped in a towel and was told, “Don’t tell nobody,” after Combs offered him money — which Florez believed was a bribe.

However, the incident was ultimately caught on a security camera of the Los Angeles hotel, and the footage was released by CNN in May 2024.

Just months prior, Cassie had filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy, which was quietly settled within 24 hours. Notably, the lawsuit claimed Combs paid $50,000 to the InterContinental Century City to obtain the footage, per People magazine.

“Upon information and belief, Mr. Combs paid the InterContinental Century City $50,000 for the hallway security footage from that evening,” the suit read.

Cassie’s suit was settled within 24 hours. However, it opened the floodgates for several other allegations against the music mogul.

Now facing separate federal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs is at the centre of what’s being called one of the biggest celebrity trials in recent memory. And the resurfaced assault footage continues to play a major role in the prosecution’s arguments.

Diddy's defence opening statements

Diddy’s defence acknowledged his “horrible, dehumanising, violent and terrible” actions in the video, even calling them “domestic violence.” However, attorney Teny Geragos noted that her client’s charges are separate, i.e., sex trafficking and racketeering.

“[The security footage] is not evidence of sex trafficking. It’s evidence of domestic violence,” she said.